With the advent of fossil fuel shortages and the accelerating demand for petroleum derived products, the refiner is faced with many problems associated with producing notably high octane gasoline and good quality light distillates. In their efforts to optimize gasoline production, refiners are forced to consider more efficient methods of utilizing refinery light gases, particularly C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 olefin streams in cooperation with advanced technology for the purpose identified. Although these materials can be used as feed for alkylation (sulfuric and HF processes), the refiner is frequently faced with shortages of isobutane needed for these processes forcing the purchase of isobutane from outside short supply sources when available at relatively high prices. However, this not only escalates the cost but also the shortage of an already expensive material. Therefore any modern processing technology which will circumvent this problem for the refiner becomes an exceedingly valuable tool for the industry.
Some typical refinery light gases suitable for such upgrading include catalytic cracker off gases, coker off gas, visbreaker off gas, and the effluent gas of any process producing (C.sub.2 -C.sub.5) light olefins.